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How to Calculate Your Clinic’s Break-Even Point

Reviewed by Chantel, COO · 2026-05-29

Short answer: Your clinic's break-even point is the revenue needed to cover all fixed costs. Calculate it by dividing monthly fixed costs by your contribution margin percentage (net revenue minus variable treatment costs, as a share of net revenue). Anything above break-even contributes to profit; anything below means the clinic is losing money that month.

Key takeaways

Break-even revenue = monthly fixed costs ÷ contribution margin %.
Use realistic variable costs, including card fees and treatment-linked pay.
Recalculate when rent, salaries or your service mix change.
Break-even is a planning tool, not a target to aim for.

Why should a clinic owner know the break-even point?

It tells you the minimum monthly revenue required to keep the doors open. That makes decisions clearer: whether you can afford a new hire, how much a slow season will cost, and how much room you have before a price change or discount hurts.

It also helps translate revenue into appointments. If you know average contribution per appointment, you can estimate how many treatments you need each month to break even.

How do you calculate it?

List monthly fixed costs: rent, salaried staff, software, insurance, loan payments, base marketing
Calculate contribution margin: (net revenue − variable treatment costs) ÷ net revenue
Divide fixed costs by contribution margin %

In a hypothetical example, $60,000 of fixed costs and a 60% contribution margin give break-even revenue of $100,000 per month.

How does the break-even worksheet help?

The worksheet lists the inputs, works through a hypothetical example and ends with checks to complete before you rely on the result, such as confirming that owner pay and loan payments are treated consistently.

Resource 006 is organized into these sections:

Inputs
Hypothetical example
Before using the result

For the calculation, use tab “006 Clinic break-even” in the Aesthetic Intelligence Calculation Workbook. Blue cells are editable inputs.

Download Resource 006: Break-even worksheet →

Frequently asked questions

Should owner salary be a fixed cost?

If the owner draws a regular salary or would need to be replaced to run the clinic, include it. Being consistent matters more than the specific choice.

How often should I recalculate break-even?

At least yearly and after any material change in rent, staffing, pricing or service mix.

Can break-even be calculated per treatment room?

Yes, by allocating fixed costs across rooms. Resource 008 covers room productivity, which helps with this view.

What should you do next?

Download the free break-even worksheet and complete it with your team this week.

Bring your numbers, team and growth plan together.

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